A commonly configured electrical connector backshell adaptor assembly comprises a metal tubular nipple having a hollow bore, such nipple commonly having a rotatable coupling nut or other common fastener mounted at its forward end. In use of such backshell adaptors, such forward end mounting means are utilized for securely attaching the adaptor to an electrical junction box or to an item of electronic equipment which is served by a cable bundle which extends through the nipple's bore.
The rearward end of such electrical connector backshell adaptor is known to present a pair of annular ridges which form an annular channel for receiving annular clamping means. Upon extension of the cable bundle through the bore of such adaptor, an electromagnetic flux (EMF) shielding cable sheath may be extended over the cable bundle and over the outer periphery of the adaptor's rearward extension. Thereafter, annular clamping means such as a constant force spring, a “Band-It” band, or a “Magna-form” ring may be utilized to attach the forward end of such cable sheath to the nipple. The extreme rearward end of such adaptor nipples commonly present an annular and radially outwardly extending flange, and such annular clamping means are commonly placed upon the nipple at a forward position in relation to such flange. Upon such annular clamping means positioning, the annular clamp and the flange work mechanically together for secure attachment of the sheath.
A problem associated with such common backshell adaptor assemblies is that such assemblies' cable bundle protecting sheaths are commonly capable of elastically longitudinally stretching a distance greater than the stretching tolerance of the contained cable bundles. As a result of such differential in stretching tolerances, a strong pulling force applied simultaneously to a sheath and to the cable bundle contained within the sheath, may cause the cables within the sheath to break or become disconnected while leaving the outer sheath intact. Such pull force damage events are highly undesirable since they may render electronic equipment served by the cable assembly inoperable.
In order to attempt to solve or ameliorate such pull force damage events, electrical connector backshell adaptors are known to be outfitted or specially equipped with a mechanical “O” clamp which receives and compressively engages both the sheath and a cable bundle contained by the sheath. Such “O” clamps are known to be positioned rearwardly from the adaptor by a pair of rearwardly extending support arms, the proximal ends of which are mounted upon the outer wall of the adaptor's nipple. In operation, such “O” clamp modifications transmit pulling forces applied to the bundle and sheath directly to the nipple, protecting the internally contained cable bundle from excessive strain.
A problem or defect associated with such known “O” clamp adaptations of backshell adaptors relates to the additional parts which are introduced into sensitive mechanical and electronic environments. Such “O” clamp assemblies commonly comprise numerous separate parts, such as a pair of extension arms, a pair of extension arm mounting screws, a pair of semi-circumferential clamping jaws, and a pair of clamp jaw actuating screws. Upon long use and exposure to vibrations, such added parts tend to loosen, resulting in undesirable shedding or dropping of metal parts. Shedding of loosened metal parts creates a risk of foreign object damage in the nature of electronic and/or mechanical interference with the functions of electronic equipment or machinery within which the backshell adaptor assembly is installed.
The instant inventive foreign object damage protecting electrical connector backshell adaptor solves or ameliorates the problems and defects set forth above, while preserving basic mechanical functions, as described above, by specially configuring the rearward retention flange portion of a backshell adaptor's nipple to dually function as an annular clamp and sheath retaining means and as a mechanical cable bundle compressing “O” clamp, such dual function adaptation allowing the assemblies' cable sheath to correspondingly dually function as a cable bundle protecting shield and as a foreign objects collecting receptacle.